Paula Dean uses "N" word

Totally agree. She could hire 100 black employees, pay them crap and threat them like shit...just like the same corporations that decided to drop her products and sponsorship.

Paula needs to stop defending herself, explaining herself, and just move on. She'll never win this. She needs to reach out to the loyalty of her fans and nobody else, and tell everyone else to fuck off.

That's right if you're not a Paula Dean fan you need to fuck off America

I've heard people state in the thread that black people have turned the word on it's head and now use it as a term of empowerment, brotherhood, and/or solidarity. Okay, I get that and I've seen that. What I DON'T get is why I've also seen black people also hurl it against their brethren as the ultimate insult.

For me, if you are going to use the argument I "own it" therefore I can use it, then be consistent. Don't state that when a person of a different ethnicity uses it, it can ONLY be offensive but may or may not be when black people use it.

If you've really heard one black person use the n word in a hateful way towards another black person, which I highly doubt, are you really going to project that thought process onto all black people? This is happening time and time again in this thread. All black people and all uses of the n word are getting lumped together in really strange, and yes, racist ways. Odd, funny thread here.

Having been raised in the South, that word gets thrown about a lot, also considering her age, it was something that was acceptable to say when she was growing up and for society to finally evolve and understand it's not an acceptable word, then deem it "unspeakable," makes it hard for some people to adjust.

I have a dear friend whose grandfather has never said a cross word in his life (at least around me) but is suffering from Alzheimer's and was in his doctor's office when a nurse came in and his grandfather promptly said "What's that ********** doing in here!?" Now he told me that he had never heard his grandfather say that word in all of his life but was floored and didn't know how to handle it.

Is Paula suffering from Alzheimer's? Probably not, but IMO she was raised in an area where the word was socially accepted. I'm not white either but I am not kidding you that some old generations think that the N word can be used as a term of endearment as well as an insult. I don't understand it, but it's not for me to understand seeing as I'm neither race. The thing is, if you've been raised socially conditioned to accept a word and not think it's insulting, you think that way until someone tells you otherwise. In this case, Paula's finally being taught how much baggage comes with that word, just on a public stage and by millions of people.

What I find odd is that no other minority, to my knowledge goes around calling people of the same ethnicity racial slurs as a salute. I haven't seen Asians say "Sup ch**k?" Or Mexicans say "sup wet****?" I have however seen a white person say "sup n***a?" to another white person. And so on and so forth. Offensive words are offensive and shouldn't be said, period.

Not racial, but qu**r & fa**ot can have similarly complex contexts these days, and are often used in-group in ways that to others can seem positive, negative, or confusingly neutral.

If you've really heard one black person use the n word in a hateful way towards another black person, which I highly doubt, are you really going to project that thought process onto all black people? This is happening time and time again in this thread. All black people and all uses of the n word are getting lumped together in really strange, and yes, racist ways. Odd, funny thread here.

You can doubt it but it happened. That shit was crazy to witness. No, I don't lump all people in the same category, I know the black community is divided on the use of that word so it's not a projection. It was simply responding to an argument which did lump all black people as "being of the same mind" regarding this issue with the same thought process so to speak.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamblast

Not racial, but qu**r & fa**ot can have similarly complex contexts these days, and are often used in-group in ways that to others can seem positive, negative, or confusingly neutral.

True, my friends don't use those forms of greeting either but I have witnessed it when joining them for festivities by others. Equally perplexing to me, but again, as a non-member of that "club" I just refrain from using it. To me, the less I say those or any epithets, the less circulation it has, which is my small attempt at letting the word die out in common usage.

I think this whole situation is idiotic. Companies dropping her for using one bad word 30 years ago ? What the hell for ? Rapper use the word thousands of times every day and people actually support them. But a tv cook says the word once, 30 YEARS AGO...and basically gets fired from different companies ? Not exactly fair, is it ?

There is war, disease, hunger, thirst, murder, and poverty...but let's get upset for someone using a word. Sounds logical.

Lol, no. I had an ex-boyfriend who insisted on saying racial slurs around me, thinking it was "okay." Stupid ch**k driver, that dumb *********** etc. After voicing my objections repeatedly it became a joke to him, because he claimed I was too sensitive and proceeded to use them more often. Well, at this point I was already going to end it so at a dinner with his family I asked his parents if they were the ones that taught him the use of that word is okay as well as others. Let's just say, I don't think he ever used it again though I can't be sure since we didn't remain friends after the break-up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockmjd23

And neither do black people. They don't call each other *******s, they call eachother n*gga. Those are different things.

I can see those being different things with different contexts so in that regard is it acceptable for a non black person to use the term n*gga?

If my brother comes up to me in the street and says "What's up motherfucker?"
I would smile and give him a hug. If a stranger did the same thing I would probably puch him in the face.
Same words, different intent, different reaction.

I don't disagree with either of you, but let's face it, the masses are not that smart, introspective, or thoughtful so don't be surprised that there are a lot of ignorant folks who won't know the difference. For God's sake, this is the society that catapulted the Jersey Shore into household names.

As a descendant, I think I would have the right if a wealthy fat German host and cook went on and on about how wonderful a Nazi wedding would be for her brother. See, I would take offense at that.

And I would too. I agree with you regarding that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

You know.... this bullshit right here is why Blacks get so fuckin' mad.

NONE OF US go around arbitrarily "Bitching" about Slavery to Whites.

From personal experience, I have to respectfully disagree. But let me be clear that I'm not lumping all black people in this. However, much like some very vocal Christians do as well, I've encountered black people with a huge persecution complex when no such persecution in their particular case exists.

In this case, with Paula Dean, I side with those outraged and agree with her firing (and all the other fallout that resulted of it). But there are plenty of times people of all races and/or sexual orientation like to cry wolf, as it were. You can't pretend that doesn't happen. And it happens more and more often and that has the unfortunate effect of diminishing real instances of discrimination.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

I'll give you this, at least you don't deny you African roots. But you still need to not shy away from our history. Whites will always TRY to make Blacks feel bad for speaking up and calling Whites on their shit in the past and present. They have no problem doing it us so why should we fear them when we need to do it?

I never would deny my roots since I'm actually proud of my ancestry. And I hope you don't think I'm blind to the shit black people even today have to deal with. Racism isn't dead. It'll sadly take a long time for it to be gone. And that story about "my poor grampa when he lost his slaves" is proof that racism isn't gone. People are simply now trying to present it through rose colored lenses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giantrobo

Wow....

I guess today's American Indians should shut the fuck up if they mention what was done to them too huh?

How can I best explain this? A poster here, I believe it was Hokeyboy, once bemoaned how while growing up, there were plenty of assholes that called him a mistake because he is of mixed race. That's his personal experience with racism. If his kids grew up and tried to use his story as their personal story, my first thought would be "bullshit. That didn't happen to them. It happened to their father." Now on the other hand, if their story was about how it was growing up and how that hurt was still clearly evident in their father and how that affect their upbringing, that would be the children's experience with racism. Although directly related, those two experiences are not interchangeable.

Same with Native Americans that lived during all the atrocities committed against them versus the descendants living in the here and now.

I don't think the past should ever be forgotten or ignored. However, those that did not live it diminish the experiences of their forebears by claiming such experiences as their own.

I think this whole situation is idiotic. Companies dropping her for using one bad word 30 years ago ? What the hell for ? Rapper use the word thousands of times every day and people actually support them. But a tv cook says the word once, 30 YEARS AGO...and basically gets fired from different companies ? Not exactly fair, is it ?

There is war, disease, hunger, thirst, murder, and poverty...but let's get upset for someone using a word. Sounds logical.

It's almost like you've ignored everything that's been said so far in this thread!

Location: the kingdom of the evil Voratians, ruled by the wicked Ak-Oga

Posts: 11,402

Re: Paula Dean uses "N" word

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather

I think this whole situation is idiotic. Companies dropping her for using one bad word 30 years ago ? What the hell for ? Rapper use the word thousands of times every day and people actually support them. But a tv cook says the word once, 30 YEARS AGO...and basically gets fired from different companies ? Not exactly fair, is it ?

There is war, disease, hunger, thirst, murder, and poverty...but let's get upset for someone using a word. Sounds logical.

You should read more, because there's a lot more to this than her just uttering a word. There are allegations of racial and sexual discrimination, where not just her words but actions are coming into question.